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pixieledmemes2025-05-15 12:28 am
Test Drive Meme #3
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You wake up at a party.
You're not sure how, exactly, you got here. You may have just been walking in the woods or at a meeting for work or doing any other normal activity for you. But you know you weren't supposed to be at this party, you're fairly certain.
Anyone you ask about it will say the party is for you. You and the others also waking up and looking confused. Further questions will lead to the partygoers insisting you have something to eat. You're starving and others are eating the food without repercussion, so you figure there's no harm in a bite. You finish your portion.
It's another garden party near a large hedge maze in the middle of the night. With his penchant for games the Ruler of the Spring Court decided it would be nice to hold an actual game for all the Adopted present. None of that dreidel game a couple of parties ago. This time, he wants more spectacle with higher stakes. Forced to participate and host aspects of this gathering as well, the Ruler of the Dark Court wanted nothing to do with this, so he figured his participation in itself is for the party to happen at night, during his rule, when his mood is at its most pleasant.
Of course, there is no shortage of light sources such as candles and torches, much to the Earl's chagrin, as well as no shortage of food. This time, the fae decided to try their hand on some pasta. They heard it's a good delicacy from the mortal plane. Thing is, sauces look and smell bizarre. One's purple, while another's bright pink, and they taste fruity, as well as flowery, much like the cookies from the last gathering.
As the party winds down and everyone's eaten, a tall, stately woman stands up and speaks. You feel her voice more than hear it.
I am the Lawspeaker of the Fae, elected by Seelie and Unseelie alike, and you are all, now, subjects of Faerie. You cannot leave this realm once you have eaten our food, and even if you could, there is no saying how much time has passed back where you're from. Your loved ones are likely dead, your problems have likely played out. We require assistance in various matters, and each of you has been chosen for your talent and skill. You will be adopted by one of the Seelie or Unseelie Courts based on your strengths and personality. Your Court will decide what to do with you from there.
As suddenly as she stood, she sits back down.
So, what about this hedge maze that seems to have appeared out of nowhere and looming quite eerily beside this night's gathering? For one, peculiar noises can be heard whenever one's near its entrance. From the rustling of leaves to a woman crying, everything seems to be coming from inside.
Of course, the Adopted's participation is required and paramount. Anyone who refuses will be met with harsh penalties and consequences, whatever those may be. They also hint of a prize to anyone who comes out victorious on the other side. It's unclear what it is, though.
The fae know that while the Adopted have been very useful so far, they are also vulnerable and susceptible to fear, so to mitigate that, they have some colorful shots on a table marked LIQUID COURAGE near the entrance to the maze with such effects:
- Gold: Essentially a strong drink that gives you profound energy for 24 hours.
- Red: Downing this will make you feel warm like an aphrodisiac.
- Blue: Basically functions like a normal tequila shot. Or three. Comes with a little bag of salt.
These shots are not compulsory for the Adopted to take, but they will be highly encouraged to do so before entering. Once inside, the rustling of leaves and the sounds of someone crying become louder and even more evident. There are also a few key things that seem to be very clear the longer an Adopted is within the maze's walls:
- The maze is moving. How it's doing it, nobody knows. But it appears to be alive somehow, much like the castle grounds, so finding a clear pathway is almost impossible.
- Whenever an Adopted turns right two consecutive times, they will see a more positive outcome from a terrible event in their lives. Lost someone? They're now here and alive. Gave up on a dream? You find yourself currently living it.
- If an Adopted turns left two consecutive times, they will see someone, a family member or a friend who's still alive and had a deep impact on their lives, bleeding and dead on the ground.
It would be great if no one else can see an Adopted during their most vulnerable, but since the maze moves constantly, another Adopted or two might be able to see them trying to parse out what they're seeing, even if their fellow Adopted can't see it themselves.
CW: dismemberment, body horror, forced body transformations, mild gore, asphyxiation, drowning of children, death
The Spring King only wanted some good-natured fun within the maze, but unbeknownst to him, some Unseelie creatures and Unseelie magic have appeared inside, threatening the safety of the Adopted traversing every nook and cranny. Surely this will not have any lasting consequences between the relationship of the Seelie and Unseelie court rulers. Not at all.
A few of these Unseelie beings and Unseelie magic roaming around the hedge maze that the Adopted will have a chance to meet are as follows:
- Manananggal: Capable of severing its torso from its legs, this vampiric creature usually preys on sleeping pregnant women and unborn babies. But not anymore. Due to magic put on it, this manananggal will strike anyone it comes across. Better pour salt on its severed lower torso once you find it, or else.
- La Llorona: Remember that woman crying? Well, somewhere in the maze alongside the eerie sounds of water flowing, you'll come across a weeping woman cloaked in white with her back turned against you. Be careful not to approach her because once you do, she'll try to choke you to death, reminiscent of how she drowned her own children.
- Jersey Devil: The first thing you'll hear once you turn is a high-pitched, blood-curdling scream then the sound of bat wings flapping. You better run as fast as you can to the other direction because this devil is out to attack anyone it sees on its path.
- A fountain: How odd. Running from the jersey devil or the manananggal might have made you thirsty so perhaps there's no harm in drinking from it. But just coming in contact with its water will make any Adopted soon realize they have transformed into an Unseelie creature.
Fighting off these creatures might be best with a fellow Adopted. After all, there's power in numbers. Just be careful not to die within the hedge maze. There might be some dire consequences.
You feel a vibration in your pocket sometime after the Lawspeaker addresses everyone. When you search for the source, you will pull out your Leaf, the device the Fae use to stay in touch with each other. Anyone who's used a smart phone will easily recognize how it works.
Greetings, Adopted. This is your Lawspeaker.
To be on theme with our festivities for tonight, we want to know a time in your life when you felt lost and wandering about. Perhaps the most compelling story will receive a reward from us.
Edwin Payne | Dead Boy Detectives
"I don't have to eat," Edwin was saying to someone offering him some kind of sweet. "And even if I do, all I'll taste is...dust." He sighed in a put-upon sort of way as the woman insisted and so he took the treat gingerly between his fingers and gave it a gentle bite. His eyes went wide and he looked down, letting the woman get out of his sight as he assessed the food he'd just eaten.
"I could taste that," he said, shocked. He lifted his head, but the woman who had been standing there was instead replaced by a new person. "That's..." It was on the tip of his tongue. Raspberry? No. Vanilla? No.
"What flavor is this?" he asked, offering his treat to the new person. "I can't remember what it's called." He'd been dead for over a hundred years. Hadn't tasted anything in that time. How was he supposed to remember whether the taste was fruit, vegetable, or mineral?
II.
He'd all but been shoved into the maze. He was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that he was alive. This didn't seem to be Hell, although he was certainly reserving judgment since they were forcing him to do things against his will. The maze itself seemed to be shifting. A series of lefts - and a disturbing vision of Charles as he had been at the moment of his death - didn't appear to bring him full circle.
He was so busy trying to map the maze in his head that the woman nearly caught him unawares. He froze when he noticed the movement. "The White Lady," he murmured. There were any number of versions she could have been. The White Lady herself, La Llorona, Y Ladi Wen. It didn't really matter. None of them meant anything good and so he turned around. Another person had caught up to him and he pushed them back the way they'd come.
"Go!" he ordered. He threw his hand behind him and called out "Forbaern aeltaewlice" and a burst of fire hopefully distracted the Lady long enough for him and this new person to flee. Now all he had to do was hope that she didn't chase them for long.
i.
That's probably why when he offers her the sweet treat, she wastes no time in accepting it and taking a bite. Nothing here has killed her yet, and she's pretty sure there are easier ways for the fae to do it, anyway. She considers for a second, then snaps her fingers before pointing at him.
"Cherry," she says confidently. A nearby fae sighs and corrects: "It's cranberry." She whirls around to look at the random fae, incredulous, before turning back to him and shrugging. "Pretty sure it's cherry."
no subject
Charles. Who wasn't here. That he'd seen.
"I'm looking for a boy. About my height. Brown eyes. Black, curly hair. He wears an earring of a cross in his left ear and a thin, gold-plated necklace. Red t-shirt with a collar that's also red with a stripe of white or multicolored stripes. Black slacks. White socks. Black loafers. He may also have either a black jacket with patches on the arm or a brown jacket with red tartan inside."
The words came out at a rapid pace, as if he didn't have to think about what Edwin looked like or what he might be wearing. While ghosts could change clothes, they generally wore something similar to what they had died in. Or exactly what they had died on, depending on the variety of ghost. That was the only reason he would admit to himself or anyone else why he was so familiar.
no subject
Well, she does now, after his rambling description of his friend.
"Whoa, whoa!" She tries not to interrupt him, but she might talk over the last few words, hands held palms-out in front of her, waggling around to get his attention. She wasn't sure when he'd be done, is all. "Take a breath, buddy! How about we start with a name, huh?" Despite her best efforts, Rikku hasn't met everyone here, though she's got a pretty good handle on most people's names; it pays to have information, after all.
Well, it would, if the fae believed in money. She still isn't over it.
II.
And he's certainly not going to leave a kid to defend his exit. Jaeger takes in the situation with steady blue-gray eyes, his frown deepening as he registers the source of the weeping.
As if he hadn't known it would be some sort of ruse or lure. He looks to Edwin, extends a hand. Glittering steel blades erupt in a spray, following the fire, and Jaeger moves to retreat, though not without his new companion.
"Go, go," he rasps, his voice low and rough as gravel from a scarred throat.
no subject
Fire wouldn't do much either, but his goal hadn't been to hurt her. No, he just needed to distract her enough that he could run as fast as his feet and lungs would allow. He wasn't sure if his new body was alive in the same way that his old had been, but he didn't want to test the theory by dying again.
"Left," he called and veered in that direction. He'd come from the right and none of the paths that way had led anywhere useful. Unless they wanted to try to get through the Lady who wanted to kill them, left was the only option.
no subject
Which leaves him back at the start, but he does generally know his business.
No quibbling: Jaeger moves when the young man does, not intending any noble gestures beyond what he's already done. He favors his right leg slightly, but he's a big man in good shape, and he's on the move nearly as soon as he's finished casting.
Behind them, the wails and weeping rises to a terrible crescendo, and...the walls. The labyrinth walls are fucking shifting, and Jaeger is grimly sure they aren't on their side. Why would they be?
"Watch out for the walls," he rasps between breaths. Grabbed from the sides, or cold, deadly hands from behind, the options aren't fantastic. Jaeger paces himself just enough to keep from leaving Edwin behind, while still extremely motivated to speed.
So much love for Edwin! II.--Maze
"Oi!" Spike protested to the shove and the order. Before his attention was taking by the burst of fire. Instinctively he took a step back, but that was all. What was going on?
no subject
Which was just what Edwin did. He'd tried. If the man wanted to get himself killed, that was his own fault. Under other circumstances, he would have stayed to try to help, but during his walk in the maze so far, he'd come to an uncomfortable realization. He was breathing. First he'd been able to taste the food and now he was breathing and he absolutely did not want to test whether this newfound signs of life were only temporary or were a more permanent situation.